Venture UWA Intern Lunch 2025: Thank you for the work, the wins, and the community growth

We wrapped our 2025 intern cohort with what matters most: time together. Games, awards, plenty of food — and a big thank you to every UWA student who backed founders, shipped real work, and brought energy to the Venture UWA community this year.

Internships at Venture UWA aren’t “coffee runs.” They’re founder-led, project-based experiences where students help real startups move faster — and learn how to operate in teams, make decisions, and communicate with customers. That combination of skills + confidence + community is what makes the difference after graduation.

What we celebrated

• Real outcomes for founders: interns designed experiments, analysed customer feedback, built features, and improved go-to-market work.

• Growth you can feel: clearer communication, faster problem-solving, stronger ownership.

• Friendships and networks: the cohort connected across disciplines and now have founders, mentors, and peers they can call on.

  
  

Why internships/WIL matter (and the data behind it)

1) Internships convert to jobs — directly and through networks.

National Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) data analysed by WIL Australia shows graduates who did WIL report securing employment because of their WIL experience (24.8%), with their WIL industry/community partner (16.8%), and through a contact made during WIL (9.4%). That’s a clear pathway from project work to paid roles. 

2) Full-time outcomes are higher for students who do WIL.

For domestic undergraduates, the full-time employment rate was 76.4% among those who participated in any WIL versus 69.6% for those who didn’t — with work-based WIL performing best (79.5%). 

3) The graduate market shifts, but early career employment stays resilient.

Year-to-year conditions fluctuate, yet the national benchmark remains strong: in 2024, 74% of domestic undergrads were in full-time work four to six months after graduating; three years out, the full-time rate reaches ~91%. Internships help close that early gap faster. 

4) WIL is widespread — and it’s designed to lift job readiness.

Work-integrated learning is embedded across Australia’s universities in forms like internships, industry projects and practicums — a national effort to link learning with professional outcomes. 

5) Benefits extend across student cohorts.

Analyses also highlight positive impacts for equity groups, with work-based WIL associated with higher full-time employment for regional and Indigenous students, and for students with disability or from low-SES backgrounds. 

What makes the Venture UWA model work

• Founder-led projects: you work on real priorities with real stakes.

• Structured learning: scoped briefs, feedback loops, and reflection points.

• Community: mentors, peers, and alumni who keep the door open after the placement ends.

• WA ecosystem access: you meet the people building companies here — and they meet you.

  
  

Hear from the Venture UWA Community

"Great to be part of vibrant and innovative community that constantly has interesting events and engagement. It’s a great environment to build skills in a supportive environment with mentors to help guide you." Clara Moody

What’s next

To our 2025 interns: thank you. You made a real contribution to the founders and you strengthened the Venture UWA community. Keep us posted on your next steps — we love sharing alumni wins.

To students considering 2026: if you want practical experience, a stronger network, and a faster start after graduation, keep an eye on our channels for the next intake.

Sources

• WIL Australia (2025) – Member Summary Report for 2024 GOS items (employment conversion via WIL; FT outcomes for WIL vs no WIL). 

• QILT – Graduate Outcomes Survey (2024) – national undergraduate employment benchmarks (4–6 months; longitudinal). 

• Universities Australia (2019) – national WIL baseline across universities. 

• DASSH summary of ACEN analyses (2020–2022) – equity impacts of work-based WIL.